


Tether

by skinseas



Category: Winner (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-03
Updated: 2016-09-03
Packaged: 2018-08-12 17:00:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7942186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skinseas/pseuds/skinseas
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eons away from Earth, Mino and Seungyoon rediscovers the things they have lost through a seemingly hopeless mission. MinYoon Space AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tether

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mitsukyu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mitsukyu/gifts).



> Loosely based (and borrowed elements) from Interstellar and Doctor Who! Also, here is a nifty [timeline](http://i.imgur.com/td8iyOk.png) to guide you through the fic, as it will be shifting constantly between events from the past / the fic's present. Written for [Winner Exchange 2016](http://winnerexchange.livejournal.com/12618.html)

 

_The new age of the International Space Race is upon us. Manned space exploration has greatly advanced, and the opportunities weren’t just closed to countries like Russia, the US, and China. Countries like South Korea have greatly developed their space research and technologies through the Korean Aerospace Research Institute, the leading government-funded division for space programs._

_Recently, the sharp decline in sustainable agricultural land has greatly affected food production and the quality of human life, forcing countries all around the world to develop aerospace technologies, thus, making them all rush to find solutions to this worldwide crisis. Some have already explored the possibilities of space agriculture. The first South Korean-manned mission led by Commander Park Jisoo has retrieved results from Planet EXO-12-SM-009, also known as Planet Nerissa. As of the press time, a five-member crew aboard the ship KR-W-005 (known as the Geobukseon) is on their way to the second trip to the Planet. They are also extensively using the route to research on two other planets. They are under the command of Space Mission Commander Kang Seungyoon and assisted by Second Commander Song Minho. Pilot-in-Command Lee Seunghoon is in charge of navigation. They are joined by the mission specialists and hailed Daejeon superstars Engineer Kim Jinwoo and Doctor Nam Taehyun, who have introduced the concept of "hacking" different soil types to make them conducive for farming._

  


**X**

He was sure of it. He saw a strange light flash through _it_.

Mino stood frozen, toes curling into the dirty orange carpet under his feet, gaze still fixed on _it_.

He just got home from a bad school day. San and Dae-woong were at it again, _those bastards_. They greeted Mino with their standard ‘ _hey, huge weirdo_ ’ and ‘ _delusional space boy_ ’ when he arrived in class, but today Mino was feeling especially off. During art class, Mino felt the need for revenge. He drew San and Dae-woong, highlighting their huge noses (to the point of ridicule, his best friend Jihoon had suggested). San saw Mino’s artwork and got riled up while Dae-woong pretended ( _or not, maybe he’s just sensitive?_ ) to cry for all the class, especially Mr. Yang, to see.

_But teacher, they were calling me names!_

Mr. Yang insisted on calling their parents to school. Mino fell silent as his teacher called their home. His mom picked up, and he knew all too well that his mother is the last person he wanted to disappoint.

Mino’s mother arrived in her work uniform--a collared white and purple Everland shirt and cropped navy blue slacks. Her arms are folded across her chest and her lips were pursed together, forming a straight line. Mino can tell that his mother was quite furious, and abhors the idea that she had to spend the afternoon _chatting_ with her son's homeroom teacher.

_What did he do?  
Mom, I didn’t do anything._

The other faculty members guided Mino, San, and Dae-woong somewhere else while the boys’ mothers convene with Mr. Yang.

By the time they reached home, Mino immediately proceeded to his room to avoid conversation, and then he saw _it._

He saw the light. It was a faint flash of light, but it was enough to catch his attention. Mino carefully closed the wooden bedroom door behind him and walked slowly towards _it_. He gulped in anxiety as he inched closer, and he had to stop when he reached the dusty old carpet that has been on his bedroom floor since time immemorial.

Mino stood still for something close to am minute, but then he realized nothing is happening.

He sighed. _Maybe I’m just really in a bad mood_ , he thought. _Or maybe I’m really crazy,_ like what San and Dae-woong have been claiming.

Mino retreated to his bed and rolled himself into a tight blanket envelope of frustration. He fixed his gaze above him, towards the ceiling, where his glow-in-the-dark solar system stickers barely held on. It frustrated him that he can’t find the Pluto sticker, and even more timely that there were recent debates about it not being a planet anymore. Mino unconsciously rolled his eyes when he recalled the evening news. _Someday, I’m going to be the first man on Pluto._ The thought of spaceships, and stars, and the sun, and the cool suits took over the ten-year old once again. His indifference was phased with excitement. Mino lifted his right arm, as if reaching out to the planets.

He smiled.

_Mino?_

He immediately sat up. He knew he heard a voice. A breathy voice.

It came from _there_. Mino whispered to himself.

He got up again, his small chubby feet establishing contact with the orange carpet once again.

"Mino?"

 

**1**

 

“Mino?"

His lids were heavy. It was the first time Mino had such a vivid dream in months, ever since they left the wreck that was Planet Pentos. He wrinkled his forehead as he tried to emerge from his sleeping pod. The stark coldness outside the insulated pod slightly helped in waking him up.

Commander Kang Seungyoon sat by the foot of Mino's sleeping pod, struggling to stay still and fight gravity (or lack thereof) His eyes are swollen from the obvious lack of sleep, but Seungyoon still managed to give his comrade a warm, reassuring smile. Mino found it funny that Seungyoon looked like he had aged a millennium ever since they last hanged out before the mission. Back then, Kang Seungyoon was such a smug bastard. Mino barely knew him, but he knew that he was some sort of a prodigy. Seungyoon was rather proud and confident, but definitely not arrogant, at least not to Mino. Now, Seungyoon can’t even look at all of his crew members straight in the eye. Despite this, there has been a strange comfort between them, even if Mino initially resented Seungyoon for taking his rightful place as commander of this particular mission.

“We’re almost there, better eat your breakfast and get ready.” His low but enthusiastic voice has always been soothing to Mino.

Seungyoon got up and hovered his way out of their barracks. Mino followed suit soon after.

The five-member crew communed at the pantry. Up early was Pilot-in-Command Lee Seunghoon together with Mission Specialists Doctor Nam Taehyun and Engineer Kim Jinwoo. They looked awake enough, but were obviously grumpy and agitated as they struggled to keep their food containers still.

Seungyoon cleared his throat to speak. “We’re going to arrive in Nerissa soon. Let’s all look forward and believe that we could gather useful information. There is hope.”

The other four sat in silence. Seunghoon played with his coffee, Taehyun was rubbing his eyes, and Mino just stared at him blankly.

Seeing their response, Seungyoon sighed and quietly resigned from speaking further, continuing to unpack his breakfast. His thoughts were adrift to the events that have transcended ever since their mission was decided–the blatant distrust of his superiors in his ability to command a mission because of his ‘age’, their first failure in Planet Myr (the water is overwhelming, too overwhelming even), and yet another (and their latest) failure in Planet Pentos, (where they could have lost Taehyun after he was almost swallowed by a hot bath of lava). Seungyoon sorely longed for Taehyun and Jinwoo’s enthusiasm back on Earth. They’ve pinned their hopes on this mission to make their life’s work worthwhile. The two had happily told him about their studies on “hacking” soil, and how they managed to find each other in the bizarre technological maze that is the city of Daejeon. It had always fueled Seungyoon to go on with this mission. Seunghoon and Mino’s trust and confidence in him, despite having no professional experiences together, is indispensable for him, but he can feel it fading. He burdened himself with the bitter truth that this mission is on its way to complete failure. He witnessed the decline of interest and hope from his crew, and the only thought he could do is to blame himself entirely for their dire situation.

But Seungyoon knew that there was no other way but to go forward, and he had to take all the chances.

“From this potato, human life shall prosper.”

Seunghoon held up a vacuum-sealed potato, and as if in a ceremony of offering, he closed his eyes. “We offer you, deities of Planet Nerissa, welcome us warmly, humble and desperate Earthlings.”

Taehyun and Jinwoo snickered from the end of the counter, breaking the cruel silence. The two of them were still laughing when a strange light suddenly filled the dimly-lit pantry, dazzling the five space explorers. Seunghoon weightlessly swam across the room to assess the situation from one of the ship’s windows. “Hey, guys.”

Taehyun and Jinwoo immediately followed Seunghoon. Before Seungyoon could even move, Mino shot him an urgent look from across the pantry counter, as if to stop him.

“Seungyoon-hyung, we’re here.”

Seungyoon could feel a lump form on his throat as Taehyun broke the news. His gaze has yet to leave Mino's.

“Projected time of arrival, Seunghoon?"

“In about an hour, Commander.”

“Let’s get going.”

Taehyun, Seunghoon, and Jinwoo retreated from the window and made their way into the cockpit. With the three gone from the area, Mino cleared his throat. “It’s not too late to change course, Seungyoon."

“We’re not having this conversation anymore, Mino,” Seungyoon replied in a resolutely, turning away and drinking what remained from his disposable tumbler.

“Seungyoon, listen to me. That planet killed Commander Jisoo’s crew. It made him… _unstable._ We're not even sure if the data he brought home was reliable.”

“We have a mission. What if that planet is what we’re really looking for? Everyone is pinning their hopes on us. We can’t back out now, more than ever.” The commander motioned to exit the room.

“Kang Seungyoon, please, it’s not too late for us to go back and save ourselves. We could slingshot around Nerissa and go back home earlier. That planet is pointless. We’ve been failing all along, that isn’t a good sign.”

“Ex-commander Jisoo said he transmitted data as they explored the planet, and that means he probably hasn’t lost it, not yet, not during that time. We could trust those findings.”

“Commander Jisoo has been in and out several missions, Seungyoon. He used to be so capable, but he managed to fail. He’s not like--”

Mino stopped himself, “S-s-Sorry, I did not intend to imply anything.”

“Mino, you know full well that whether we land on a deathly planet or not, from the moment this ship took off, death has always been upon us. We can’t afford to stop trying...”

Seungyoon looked at Mino in the eye with resolve. “...and yeah, _he’s not like me_ , nor this crew should end up like his.”

Kang Seungyoon turned his back on his comrade and into the mission he has to command.

 

**2**

 

 

“How are things going?” Seungyoon joined Seunghoon behind the control area. They were both suited up for their landing on Planet Nerissa. Ahead of them is a clear visual of the planet.

“Well, landing pods are stabilized and we’re projected to land in less than an hour now, but…”

“ _But?_ ” Seungyoon sat beside the pilot, listening to his assessment with all ears.

“The long-range camera sensors are not working properly. I think the satellite device Commander Jisoo’s crew left behind is messing up with our signals. _Geobukseon_ can’t seem to detect anything since we entered Nerissa’s atmosphere.”

Seungyoon calmly observed the overhead monitors in the control area displaying zero feedback. He then glanced at his crew behind him: Taehyun and Jinwoo are busy setting up their surveying devices for the Nerissa exploration while Mino is probably still getting into his spacesuit.

“Alright," he pursed his lips. "I’ll survey outside using the Suspension Pod, is that workable?” Seungyoon replied.

Seunghoon’s face painted a trace of worry upon Seungyoon’s proposal, but he seemed conflicted. With the long-range cameras rendered useless, the suspension pod was the only way they could ensure that Geobukseon's landing would be safe and undisturbed.

“I’m giving you fifteen minutes, Seungyoon.” The Pilot’s tone transitioned from a crew member to a worrying friend. The commander nodded in agreement.

“Jinwoo-hyung, can you please help Seunghoon launch the Suspension Pod?”

Jinwoo sprung up from his location and immediately approached the cockpit, replacing Seungyoon on the seat adjacent to the Pilot.

“Only fifteen minutes, Kang.” Seunghoon reminded. “Fourteen.”

Seungyoon swiftly swam towards the hall where the Suspension Pods are located. To his surprise, he crossed paths with Mino, who was now in full gear and was about to make his way to the cockpit.

“Where are you going, Kang Seungyoon? Backing out?” Mino gave him a teasing smirk.

Seungyoon smiled warmly despite the jab. “I have no time to chicken out, I need to survey the area.”

Seungyoon went ahead, but Mino stopped him by the arm.

“Despite this, don’t forget you’re still shitty...but I’m putting my trust on you.” Mino declared, his low voice cracking with obvious concern and worry. “You’re our commander. Nothing changes.”

“Thank you, Song Minho. I appreciate it so much.”

Mino last heard Seungyoon call him by his full name when he tried to start a bar fight with him for a reason still completely unknown to both of them. They were both drunk, and Seunghoon had to drag them both home before they embarrass themselves even further. Mino received the thought warmly. It helps to remember nice memories when you were in a constant battle with unknown extraterrestrial forces, or an imminent death, for that matter.

Seungyoon went ahead and got into one of the three suspension pods. The light was dim inside the pod, but the monitors are bright enough to give him the little visual comfort he needed at that moment. Seungyoon fit just right in the pod, which allowed him ample leg room despite being a tall person (the only crew member that struggled to get in was Seunghoon, who is noticeably taller than all of them).

It does not help that his spacesuit is big for him, and there was still a way for the coldness inside the pod to seep through. Not that it should bother Seungyoon, but the mere fact he is in it minutes before their supposed landing, all alone in space, is a bit chilling.

The timer on his watch indicated that he only has eleven minutes left until Seunghoon’s deadline for him to come back to the ship. Seungyoon took a deep breath, and with his heavy voice, he commanded Jinwoo to launch him into space.

The immediate movement of the plastic-coated metal attachment struck him as it suspended the pod out of the ship. He had to adjust immediately though, as he prioritized the little time he had to monitor the situation.

“Suspension Pod Zero-Three successfully launched into Nerissa’s atmosphere, Geobukseon do you copy?”

“Copy, Commander. Please report your findings faster than Twitter.”

Seungyoon let out a low laugh. It’s been long since Seunghoon, or any of the crew members for that matter, have referenced anything from their Earthly lives.

“Coast is clear at nine to three o’clock, no visible nuances ahead of landing trajectory. Will maneuver to check the area behind us. Do you copy?”

“Copy, Commander.”

Space is silent. Even though he has been suspended into the unknown for god knows how many times already, the unfamiliarity and stillness of space still awes Seungyoon. As he swiftly maneuvers the pod to its new position, he looked at Nerissa: _Blue, green, just like home_ , Seungyoon thought. He rekindled the image of Earth when they left the International Space Station years ago: Blue, patches of green, but mostly red and full of distant lights. A planet pleading for salvation.

A faint background music from the Geobukseon cut through the deep lull inside the pod.

“Hyung,” Seungyoon started to speak. “Is that Supermassive Black Hole by Muse?”

He hears Taehyun’s laugh from the other end.

“Doctor Nam Taehyun says it is.”

Seungyoon beamed at the thought. His mind raced back to his life back on Earth. He missed Busan. He missed his hometown. He missed music. He missed his guitar. He used to play on small events around the city during his free time. God knows what would’ve happened if he joined the popular Korean Survival Show, Superstar K?

_Maybe Mino is right_ , Seungyoon thought. _No, I can’t be having these kind of thoughts._

He pressed a button, stabilizing the pod to its new position. He looked down on his watch. Five minutes left. He better make it quick. When Seungyoon looked up, he saw something move from the corner of his eye.

“Shit.”

He frantically alternated between monitoring the situation and maneuvering the pod to go back to the ship. The communication static from the other end suddenly became louder and threatening for him.

“Geobukseon, this is the Commander speaking. Movement reported ahead. Unknown physical objects headed towards your direction at your 8 o’clock.”

“Copy, can you describe? Jinwoo is anchoring you back to the ship.”

Seungyoon can hear Mino hurriedly and stressfully giving directions to Taehyun and Jinwoo in the background.

“Metal? Rock? I can’t be sure. It’s moving at around 22 kilometers per second.”

The tether is slowly reeling the pod back. Mino started shouting “double time.”

“Okay, listen, Seunghoon, please focus on landing, utilize the ship’s energy on accelerating the landing. Do you copy?”

Seungyoon can hear the Pilot sigh in frustration.

“What are you doing?! We need to focus on getting you back!” Mino’s voice rang across the pod. For a moment Seungyoon was speechless, both hearing his voice and seeing the objects hurtle faster towards them.

Seungyoon can feel the rumble of the ship as it accelerated downward. He can also feel the pod being hastily pulled back into the ship until...

... _he feels detached._

Words failed Kang Seungyoon at that moment. He can faintly hear Mino and Seunghoon shouting towards him, voices overlapping as they hurriedly asked him to describe his situation. Gravity reels him further towards the unknown, and for him, this is the truth he has to accept. The rush of earthly colors overwhelmed him. _Are those clouds? Maybe I did turn crazy? Is he the ‘yet another mad space scientist but failed to go home?’ Maybe Mino was right?_ He thought of Mino. _Of course, Mino, who was probably right._ Maybe he should have listened _to that bastard_ more. Maybe he shouldn’t have dismissed his thoughts, whether it’s about the better tasting beer or their early trip back to Earth? _Oh shit, we did fight about beer while we were drunk?_

“Commander, tell us if you copy!”

“Mino, we fought about beer you know, I just realized.”

Mino was dumbfounded.

“I see water. I also see some weird trees? But yeah, that’s vegetation. Lots of ice, too.”

“Seungyoon--”

“Am I still alive? Because it’s getting really dark.”

“Listen, we’re trying to identify your location. Seunghoon is maneuvering like mad to follow you. Maintain in contact.”

For the first time, Seungyoon realized Mino wasn’t arguing with him. His voice was familiar, serene even. His voice sparked familiarity--like a _tether_.

Seungyoon closed his eyes, but he thinks it was just the darkness that swallowed him.

 

\---

 

Mino and Taehyun stood frozen. Seunghoon is occupied, trying to evade the suspended objects and driving the ship to a rushed landing. The tail of Geobukseon has been damaged, and Jinwoo is working fast to provide immediate repair.

Mino closed his eyes and pinched the skin between his brows.

“Are we descending?” Taehyun asked.

“Yes, good thing I already stabilized the landing pods earlier, or else we’re doomed.”

“Commander?” Taehyun snaps Mino out of the daze.

“Yes?” He replied reluctantly.

“Commander, what are your thoughts?” Seunghoon inquired, obviously trying to keep the calm but his tone leaning into a demand.

Mino let out a deep sigh. “Are we getting signals from the suspension pod?”

“Yes, we can still approximate Seungyoon’s location.”

Mino recalls the conversation they had earlier. _What would Kang Seungyoon do?_

“Keep constant tabs on his location. Taehyun, get ready for research. Seunghoon, you have to accompany Taehyun. Drive the terrain rover. Make everything swift. Jinwoo stays here to prepare the ship’s mechanism for take-off. Let’s try to do this in one hour. After an hour, we leave with or without new findings...”

“...and we leave with or without getting Seungyoon back.”

 

**3**

 

 

Geobukseon landed on Nerissa with an angry jolt. Mino swore he could puke the moment they touched the unknown ground. The screech that followed the loud thump made him almost pass out in sheer discomfort. No amount of simulation had ever prepared him for actual space landings.

Seunghoon sprung out of his seat and reached for the local communication device. Jinwoo and Taehyun barely moved, still fazed from the unstable landing.

Mino struggled to calibrate the communication device that was supposed to help him locate Seungyoon, although he was certain that he was still picking up wayward signals.

“I have a signal, though it’s pretty faint. Let’s split up.”

Jinwoo and Taehyun assisted Mino and Seunghoon with their positioning devices. “Better safe than sorry,” Taehyun remarked.

The four men unloaded from Geobukseon. The ground feels damp, but Taehyun remarked that the soil consistency is close to peaty soil. High water content, but he deems that Nerissa soil is quite too acidic. For now.

Jinwoo unloaded the Turtle Rover. Despite its name, it was actually pretty fast, but they had to coin the moniker from _Geobukseon_ , which was, literally, a turtle ship.

While the mission specialists and the pilot-in-command prepare for expedition, Mino tried to establish a more stable connection with Seungyoon’s pod.

“I think I might go east, signal’s better this way.” Mino announced. “We reconvene here in an hour. If we get the right data and we get Seungyoon back, we let him decide what to do next.”

Taehyun and Jinwoo’s face lit up.

“Then let’s do our best!” Seunghoon exclaimed.

Mino tried to smile. “Let’s do our best.”

Seunghoon and Taehyun hopped on the Turtle Rover, which gave off an annoying whirr as it started.

Jinwoo retreated to continue fixing the tail of Geobukseon, which was partially damaged because of their collision with the space objects.

Mino veered away from the base, all in hopes to retrieve his commander.

 

\---

 

The rattling from the suspension pod’s communication system woke Seungyoon. His hazy vision slowly readjusted as he regained his consciousness after dangerously crashing into Planet Nerissa.

He tried to get up, communication system in hand. The unfamiliar place is enveloped in darkness, but there were two cracks of light from different ends.

The display in his helmet warned him of consuming too much oxygen, so he stayed still before moving further to stabilize his breathing.

“K-K-K-Kang?”

_They came for me?_ Seungyoon snapped back to his senses. He inched closer to the light, trying to get a better reception.

“--ew Improved”

“Taste--f--feeling--formula--F--Fanta--f--five--flavors”

Seungyoon was baffled. Why am I hearing a Fanta commercial? He walked even further into the light.

“B-Break-king News: Japan S-Satellites l-launched over N-North K-Korea”

“On M-March 28, Japanese Satellites have been r-reported to hover over North Korea. Following this tension between the two countries, Japan has launched two satellites over North Korea to monitor military activity.”

Seungyoon felt a chill run down his spine. _Why am I getting feedback from Earth? And from decades ago?_

He bent down so his eye level could match the crack that emits the faint light. _No fucking way._

Seungyoon blinked and rubbed his face in frustration, as if he was in a trance and is trying to get back to sanity.

_No. Fucking. Way._

“S-s-s-eung-y-oon, d-do you copy?!” Crackling radio feedback suddenly cut though.

“Mino?”

 

**XX**

 

 

“Mino?”

He knew he heard his name from _it_. He furrowed his brows as he make his way closer to _it_ , but he was immediately distracted by a knock on his door.

“Mino?”

It was his mom.

She forcefully turned the knob, making Mino gulp hard, thinking she is frustrated and mad for being called into his school. But when she entered, she had a concerned and worrying face. She knelt down and motioned for Mino to go towards her.

“Did those boys bother you again?”

Mino broke down into tears.

His mom enveloped him into a tight hug. “It’s going to be okay.”

“You’re going to discover stars, and planets, and galaxies. Someday you’re going to be miles away, achieving your dream, exploring new worlds...and they’re going to look up at the sky and tell themselves, ‘Man, he went farther than I ever could.’”

Mino stepped back, stopping himself from crying even more.

His mother cupped his face into her hands, stroking his cheeks with her thumb to wipe his tears away. “I support you, love. Always will, okay?”

“Make a dent in the universe.” Finally, she planted a kiss on Mino’s forehead, straightened up, and smiled before leaving and closing the door behind her.

_“Mino”_

He saw a strange light, and now he hears a strange voice.

Mino steps towards _it_.

The _crack_ has always been there. It's always the strange part of Mino’s room, but now he feels braver to face _it_ now as he repeats his mother's words to himself.

He stroked the jagged edges of the crack but he felt nothing. He tried peeking into it, but again, complete darkness.

The young boy stepped back. He reached for the drawer of his study desk and pulled out something shiny.

It was a dented Everland token dated 1984, given to him by his mother who started working for the theme park from the same year. More than a decade later, it was still shiny after Mino’s persistent upkeep of something he deems precious.

He looked at the crack once again.

 

**4**

 

 

“Mino, do you copy?”

“Yes, your signal's getting better.”

“Mino, can you describe your childhood room?”

“Why are you bringing this up? Earlier you brought up the bar incident while you're in the brink of a fatal crash. Don't you know timing?”

“Just answer me.”

“Uh, tan walls, I guess? Bed and desk parallel to each other. The old solar system stickers on the ceiling. Look man, what the fuck?”

Seungyoon’s eyes wander at the vision through the crack.

“NASA Poster?”

“Yes, of course, don't even...”

Mino fell silent for a moment.

"Mino?"

“Seungyoon, I received distress signals from Taehyun and Seunghoon. There’s an avalanche. I need to get your location now!”

Seungyoon sighed. “I can only describe darkness. And cracks of lights. And…”

“And?”

Seungyoon can faintly hear Taehyun’s urgent cries from Mino’s side of the line. He can’t make out exact sentences, but he can infer that the Seunghoon and Taehyun are heading back hurriedly to their spacecraft.

“Mino, just go.” He sounded resolute.

“Seungyoon, are you insane?”

“Mino, just go! You can make it."

"Look who's fucking giving up now, Kang Seungyoon."

 

**4  
X**

 

 

_Mino, just go!_

He heard a faint voice from the crack once again. Mino held the token firmly in his right hand and starts nervously playing with it in his palm. He felt the obvious dent on the coin as his mother’s words resound through him. _Make a dent in the universe._

He stepped back and pulled back his right arm. He threw the token towards the thin crack, and in a moment, the token was _gone_.

 

**4  
0.1**

 

 

“I’m not...we're not leaving without you!!!” Mino is now shouting in frustration and desperation.

“Song Minho..." Seungyoon fixed his gaze on the boy through the crack. He motioned to throw a coin towards his direction.

"Seungyoon, I need you here now! Please!"

Mino’s voice became clearer and Seungyoon can make out a stronger sense of light from behind him, but his gaze is fixed on the crack--the token, rather, which was speeding towards his line of vision.

In a second, the token materialized right in front of him.

Seungyoon was taken aback, but he reached for the token.

The moment his skin touched the dented surface of the coin, the darkness started to disappear. Seungyoon can smell, hear, and feel a more familiar sensation. _The feeling of existing. The physical world._ It was as if he was brought back from a still, timeless vacuum. He can feel and hear Mino behind him--all surprised with Seungyoon's resurfacing.

The next thing Seungyoon knew, he fell back onto the damp ground of Planet Nerissa, dragging Mino with him.

"Ow." Seungyoon's back was just really too painful now. He can feel the pain from his earlier crash more evidently now.

“Come on, come on. We need to go back.” Mino said in between gritted teeth. Whatever weird shit happened, he did not have the time to talk about it yet.

Seungyoon got up faster than Mino. He helped the latter up, and the two immediately dashed towards the ship, following the positioning device Taehyun had distributed to the team.

Seungyoon looked around him. Despite racing through the little time they had and the constricting sense of emergency, he was able to appreciate the line of trees, rocks, and plants around them. Whether it feels surreal or real, he hardly cared. He looked back at Mino and smiled. Mino was confused at first, but he gave in and flashed a coy smile in response.

When they arrived at the landing, the spaceship is already bustling with power, as if almost ready to takeoff.

“Jinwoo! Jinwoo!” Seungyoon’s voice alerted Jinwoo who was about to close the main latch.

Jinwoo’s strong arms helped Seungyoon and Mino up. The two commanders ran to the cockpit, sparing no time for minding their injuries.

“Transmitted the data?” Seungyoon breathed heavily as he settled into his seat.

Seunghoon was busy going over the controls but he managed to reply. “WELL, GUESS WHO’S BACK?”

“Oh, please.” Seungyoon nagged. Mino settled to his seat next, Jinwoo and Taehyun helping him buckle up.

“Are you guys still sane?” Taehyun asked.

Mino rolled his eyes but his lips broke into a smile.

“Yes!” Jinwoo affirmed in a cheerful manner, which made everyone laugh.

“Taehyun was asking,” Jinwoo sighed in defeat. “I’m still the eldest in this ship, you bastards.”

“How are things looking up, Pilot?”

“The glaciers melt drastically here, as evidenced by this impending Great Flood that will kill us if we’re not gonna take off now. Are you ready?”

“We’re gonna have to launch and slingshot around Nerissa, alright.”

“Noted, Commander.”

Seungyoon smiled at the sound of commander.

“Let’s get out of here.”

 

**5**

 

 

“Hey,” Seungyoon said, joining Mino in his late-night snacking at the pantry.

Seungyoon sat in close proximity, their elbows touching. Mino’s mood seem to have improved a lot after leaving Nerissa.

“I’m sorry…”  
“I’m very sorry…”

The two snickered.

“You know, my mom once said, ‘Make a dent in the universe.’ That inspired me to pursue this shit we’re doing right now. I didn’t know what hit me. Was it fear? Was it doubt?”

“It’s okay to be scared, Mino. Everyone in this ship is scared. Everyone has their doubts. I know full well that you guys doubted me. ‘What is this person capable of?’ ‘Why is he suddenly commander?’ I was scared too. What if these guys don’t listen to me? Even I doubted myself too.”

“We did our best, and when you were gone, we totally felt we were totally screwed.”

Seungyoon burst out in hearty laughter. Silence followed suit, but it was the kind of silence that was comfortable to sit in. The two of them hardly cared.

“Mino?”

There was something about Seungyoon when Mino hears him call his name. It was both a simple and profound feeling. When he was reminded of Seungyoon calling him Song Minho, it brings him back to that time at the bar in Daejeon where they fought over beer. It was fun, and lighthearted, and it reminded him of the slightly immature Kang Seungyoon, a new friend back then. But the ring in Seungyoon’s _Mino_ reminds him of a different being. It felt like it was a Seungyoon that has always been beside him. It reminded him of a dignified leader and confidante, of a person who taught him again how to stay brave and curious.

Seungyoon reached for the dented token from his strange encounter in his pocket. It was real after all. He hadn’t gone mad. He smiled when he looked back at the anticipating Mino.

“Remember when I asked you about your room from your childhood?”

Mino nodded.

“I wasn’t able to ask you about a crack in your wall.”

Mino’s face painted bewilderment as it all came back to him.

_Mino._  
Just go.  
The token.

Seungyoon carefully let the token go from his firm grasp into suspension. Mino was frozen as he saw the familiar token he had lost years ago in his bedroom. It was still shiny as the last time he remembered it.

He grabbed the token and felt the dent slightly piercing the skin on his palm. The familiar feeling took hold of him, and it brought him back the memories of that day he thought he lost it forever. Mino can feel his tears welling up as he holds the one thing that reminds him of the planet he used to know, and of his dreams that he never gave up on.

He did not give up.

He was feeling a mix of longing and accomplishment as his mother’s words echo right back to him at that moment.

Mino looked at Seungyoon, who is now proudly looking at him. Seungyoon reached for Mino’s hands that were cupping the token. His warm hands enveloped Mino’s.

Seungyoon shifted his gaze from his co-commander to the large window in the pantry, into the vast space.

At that moment, it felt right to be here.

“Congratulations, Song Minho.” Seungyoon held his hand tighter, brushing his thumb against Mino’s knuckles.

_“You made a dent in the universe.”_


End file.
